This species attains a length of 29 cm (11 in) long and has a diamond-shaped pectoral fin disc with broadly rounded corners and a skirt-shaped curtain of skin between the nostrils.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the mitotic stingaree under Least Concern, as there is little fishing within its range.

The mitotic stingaree was described by Peter Last and Martin Gomon in a 1987 issue of Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, in which they gave it the specific epithet mitosis (derived from the Greek mitos, meaning "thread") in reference to its unique color pattern.

[3] The mitotic stingaree has only been reported from a small area north of Port Hedland in Western Australia, where it is fairly common.

[4] The slender tail is strongly flattened and bears a subtle skin fold along each side; it measures 85–104% as long as the disc.

A serrated stinging spine is positioned atop the tail about halfway along its length; the caudal fin is elongated and lance-like.

It is presumably aplacental viviparous, with the developing embryos sustained by histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother, like other stingrays.